O. Henry Biography Page: 12
ix, 258 p., [10] leaves of plates : ill., front. (port.) ; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
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O. HENRY BIOGRAPHY
prints of Heine," finds also that, with one exception,
there has been a decline in the short story as a dis-
tinct genre. "Publishers still look upon it somewhat
askance," he writes,* "as on one under a cloud, and authors,
worldly-wise, still cling to the novel as the unquestioned
leader. But here and there a writer now boldly brings
forth a book of short tales, and the publisher does his
part. The stigma of the genre is wearing off, and for
the rehabilitation one man is chiefly responsible. Mr.
Sydney Porter, the gentleman who, in the language of
some of his characters, is 'denounced' by the euphoni-
ous pen-name of O. Henry, has breathed new life into
the short story." After a tentative comparison with
Frangois Villon, Dickens, and Maupassant, Mr. For-
man concludes: "It is idle to compare O. Henry with
anybody. No talent could be more original or more
delightful. The combination of technical excellence
with whimsical sparkling wit, abundant humour, and
a fertile invention is so rare that the reader is content
without comparisons." The Nation,t after indicating
the qualities that seem to differentiate him from
Kipling and Mark Twain, summarizes in a single
sentence: "0. Henry is actually that rare bird of which
we so often hear false reports-a born story teller."
Professor William Lyon Phelps in "The Advance
of the English Novel" puts O. Henry among the five
*The North Amneicon Rview, May, 1908.
tJuly 4, 1907.
12L --
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Smith, C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso), 1864-1924. O. Henry Biography, book, 1916; Garden City, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139384/m1/26/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.